Revival
by Lioneh
Summary: The Realm of Darkness had imprisoned Aqua for longer than she could care to remember. The time had jaded her hope and the darkness wearied her heart, leaving her completely unprepared for an unexpected change of fate. Terraqua, two-shot for now. During/post KH:DDD.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: GUYS I HAVEN'T WRITTEN ANYTHING FOR LIKE, TWO YEARS GJGJSJJSJF.

Anyway, I'm dabbling in the Kingdom Hearts fanfic fandom again, so this is my latest whacky theory/crazy offering about Terra and Aqua. Enjoy.

**Title:** Revival  
**Rating:** K+  
**Pairings:** Moderate Terraqua  
**Time period:** During/post-DDD  
**Summary: **The Realm of Darkness had imprisoned Aqua for longer than she could care to remember. The time had jaded her hope and the darkness wearied her heart, leaving her completely unprepared for an unexpected change of fate.

**Disclaimer:** Terra, Aqua and the rest of the Kingdom Hearts universe belong to Square Enix…oh, and Disney. Not that they actually do anything with Kingdom Hearts that's of value these days…

* * *

It had been over a decade now. She was sure of that.

A recent conversation with another being trapped alongside her in the realm of darkness had spoken of a boy who had saved countless worlds from destruction.

A feat like this would have been impossible for the small child she had in her memories.

But as soon as Aqua heard the name, she knew it was him. She could only wonder at how that little boy with the wide, innocent eyes had ever transformed into such a brave Keyblade wielder...

…and she wondered if Sora was out there now, fighting the darkness yet again.

She closed her eyes, feeling coolness seeping into her toes as the tainted beach water washed ashore. The rhythmic waves had become the only essence of time passing… and she knew, with each moment here, that something catastrophic was brewing in the realm of light.

The darkness had been stirring again.

A horribly familiar darkness ...a type she wished she didn't recognise.

Aqua had felt the essence before, though it had been twisted with different elements. But this time, it was so much stronger… and it reminded her of the last time she had ever seen _him_. A distinct shiver ran down her spine at the memory of blue turned gold, brown turned silver, light turned dark…

At the cost of her life, she had whisked him back to the realm of light… and she knew doing so may have been her greatest mistake. She had saved both Terra _and_ Xehanort… and if the latter had won control, it would explain the constant peril the worlds faced.

But she would never take back saving a friend. Even if it was selfish, a hint at her own darkness…

_Aqua_…

Her head snapped upwards in response to her name. Her nameless companion was sitting several feet away from her, but he hadn't budged an inch…

"Did you…say something?"

The hooded man looked up, directing his gaze to her face. "No, I did not speak." He cleared this throat, and glanced at her meaningfully. "You mustn't let the darkness twist your mind in this place, if you can help it."

Aqua let out a small sigh, hanging her head with a nod. Hearing voices in the realm of darkness didn't look very good for her sanity levels…

_Please, Aqua…_

Her eyes opened wide, and her heart leaped in her chest. But she kept her reaction guarded, so as not to appear bothered. Whoever was speaking must have been doing so, inside of her…to her heart…

Aqua closed her eyes and concentrated, trying to figure out the source of the soundless voice. Had it not been so quiet on the beach, she mightn't have heard a thing. So it was distant. Did that mean she had to…?

_I need you._

Her heart ached at those words. She felt so drawn…so compelled to follow the sound, even if her rational mind demanded that she stay put. It would be foolishly stupid to run off into the huge maze of dark paths, away from the only other living soul she had found…

_Please…find me…_

Her breath left her in an instant. Aqua quickly scrabbled to her feet, feeling her heart hammering away inside her chest. She _knew_ that voice… but… how…?

Before she knew it, she was already stumbling backwards in a clumsy attempt to turn around. Behind her, she heard the surprised voice of her companion.

"Young miss, where exactly are you going?" His tone was moderately calm, but with hints of curiosity and wariness.

"I…don't know..." Aqua mumbled, instinctively looking around the immediate area. "I…need to go…something in my heart is telling me…"

"Something in your pocket is telling you too, apparently."

Her gaze shot downwards towards her shorts. A soft blue light was emanating from the side of her thigh.

And then she was running.

The moonlit waters disappeared behind her as she charged into the chilly pathways of darkness that had led her there. _Don't go...I'm coming…please, wait…!_

Aqua's thoughts raced as she quickly pulled out her Wayfinder. The blue, radiating brilliance made her gasp, and only fuelled her desperate racing that much more. She could feel her heart pulling her forward, leading her on further and further into the darkness…

But the further she went, the brighter her light became. Dark denizens shied away in fear, when they normally would have ambushed her. Her feet, once heavy and laden with darkness, were now swifter than the wind.

_Find me…_

The voice was becoming much louder and clearer than before, but the tone was exhausted. Aqua's heart ached all the more. _Hang on…_

Finally, she slowed down, panting from the mad sprint. She had no idea where she was now. But her Wayfinder was glowing so strongly she had to squint as she looked at it. She didn't know if that was an indication she was in the right place, but…

_You're here… I can't believe it…_

"Hello?" Aqua's voice hung in the empty air, echoing off into the distance. She needed confirmation that she wasn't going mad. It would seem so daft had she come here for nothing. "Why can't I see you?"

_I've missed you so much_…

Her breath caught inside her throat, and she swallowed nervously. Her heart was bursting inside of her. This couldn't be real… it hard to be the darkness finally consuming her mind… "Terra…?"

There was no audible response at first. Aqua lowered her eyes, bringing her Wayfinder to her chest in a desperate plea. Slowly, gentle warmth brushed against her shirt.

_Yes._

Aqua nearly choked. Terra was here? How could he be? Why couldn't she see him? Where was his voice coming from? Those and a million other questions raced through her mind, all at once, and yet, she could barely bring herself to ask any of them.

"Where are you?" She pleaded, her widened eyes frantically searching the spaces around her.

_Put out your hands…_

Wordlessly Aqua did as she was instructed, but not without slipping her Wayfinder away first. In a tiny starburst, a small ball of soft light drifted into her hands, warming her palms.

All she could manage was a gasp.

She…was holding Terra's heart.

"How did you get here…?" She whispered, feeling as if one wrong move would destroy this entire moment. She had always seen Terra as being so strong, so confident… solid, like the earth. Holding his heart like a fragile bird seemed unreal, so unlike his nature.

_Xehanort has expelled me from my body… his darkness finally won._

Aqua's brows creased in worry. _Over a decade...that's how long he's been fighting that monster of a man… _

"What's happened to…you, then?"

_I don't know what he's doing with my body now… if you hadn't found me, I might've been lost to the dark realm permanently._

Aqua closed her eyes, overcome with relief that she had listened to her heart. She could scarcely believe that they'd found each other. She brought her hands closer to her chest, feeling the warmth of his heart against hers. In this state, he seemed so vulnerable…and he'd probably hate to hear that, too. "Are you alright like this?"

_I don't know. The darkness feels very close here, even though I've become so accustomed to it…_

"Would you be safer with me?" Aqua hesitantly pointed to her chest with a free hand. She didn't know much about safeguarding a heart _inside_ of her, exactly... "Would it work?"

_I think so… if it's possible for two hearts to co-exist in opposition, then this would be a cinch._

Aqua smiled, and cupped Terra's heart towards her chest, gently flattening her hands against her heart. Almost immediately, warmth blossomed inside of her. She blushed instinctively. "…how's that?"

_Your light is so strong, after all this time. You were always so bright… Eraqus would've been proud._ _Thanks, Aqua._

"When did you become so gentle and conceding?" She laughed, surprising herself because the sound was foreign to her. "That's what friends are for, silly."

A dark force suddenly shifted inside of her. Aqua took in a sharp breath; she had almost forgotten that Terra had been steeped in darkness for so long. "Terra, what was that?"

_I'm sorry. It'll probably take some time to get used to… my stupid darkness, I mean. _

"No, it's okay. I know you can control it. I believe in you."

_That means a lot, Aqua. Considering last time… _Terra's voice trailed off inside her head. She waited while he composed himself. _Would you forgive me if…I tried something?_

Aqua narrowed her eyes a little in worry, but let him continue. "What would that 'something' be?"

_Back when I was stuck with Xehanort all the time, he used his darkness to create these pathways to other worlds… the corridors he made were dangerous and darkness-infested, but I know he used them to enter this realm on occasion, too. Maybe they're the secret to getting out of here._

This made Aqua all the more concerned. She had no idea the what had being going on outside the realm of darkness, and given the time, she'd question Terra about it… but after being stuck here for so long, she was ready to try anything. Better to escape this problem first, than learn of others…

"What do you need me to do?"

_I'll have to see if I can concentrate my darkness… _

Aqua winced as she felt the unfamiliar sensation of darkness squirming inside her, an undercurrent of energy crawling under her skin like a parasite. "…be careful, Terra."

_You'll have to see if you can channel my darkness. I know it'll be hard. Sometimes letting it out through a body movement can help. _

She sighed in frustration, unsure of how to manifest this foreign power in a way that would fit the requirements. Cautiously, she put her hand forward, trying to imagine concentrating the darkness into a visible form. Slowly, currents and swirls of energy twisted around her fingers, growing into something akin to a black hole just in front of her.

"Is that…what it should look like? Where does it lead?" Aqua's voice wavered slightly in nervousness. Her other wrist flicked instinctively, summoning Master Keeper in a flash of light.

_I think… if we try and think of somewhere to go, that might influence it… but I'm not really sure. _

"Very comforting…" she trailed off, unsure of where exactly would be a good place to turn up. Everything might have changed in ten years. Showing up around people wouldn't be good, especially appearing out of the darkness… "Terra?"

_Yeah?_

"Let's trust out hearts on this one. It's how I found you. They'll lead us in the right direction. As long as we end up together in one piece, that's good enough for me."

_I'm with you all the way. But we'd better hurry before that thing disappears without us._

"Okay." Aqua poised herself defensively, staring down the darkness in front of her with determination.

"We'll go together."

* * *

HOHKAY SO HERE'S HOW MY THEORY WORKS SO FAR. Basically, somewhere near the end of KHI after Ansem SoD possesses Riku, he manages to take Riku's body and completely expels his heart to the realm of darkness. It's only when Ansem is defeated that Riku can regain a physical form at the very end.

So, I thought the same thing could apply to Terra.

But that's all I'll say for now. I'll be posting the second chapter in a few days, just so I can see the interest this generates.

I hope you're enjoying this so far, everyone!

~ Lioneh


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: PART TWO, GO! :D

* * *

Everything was covered in blackness.

Aqua hadn't the slightest clue how anyone could use these corridors as a means for transport. She felt like she was in a trust exercise, blindfolded while an unknown force tried to guide her in the right direction.

What _was_ the right direction? There were no walls she could touch-feel her away along. There was no path. There was no light. This was starting to feel worse than the realm of darkness…

_Aqua, hang in there… just keep walking. _

She swallowed nervously and tried to steady her pace. She had Master Keeper constantly in front of her, poised to attack anything that might suddenly leap out from the shadows. Had it not been for her exposure to darkness for so long, and Terra's comfort, she might've completely lost herself in here. Not even her Keyblade armour would've been much help…

A sudden gust of wind sent Aqua's sleeves flapping. Dust and grit, carried on the breeze, pelted her face like sharp little needles. There was no visible source for this disruption. Everything was still coated in complete blackness. Distracted, Aqua furiously rubbed her eyes to rid herself of the muck. The further she walked, the stronger the winds became, and soon her heart was aching with memories she would rather forget.

_We're almost there…stay with me…don't give in…_

Terra sounded like he was recoiling from a similar force that was tormenting Aqua. Her heart was screaming with fear, with sadness, with anger and frustration… emotions that, she soon realised, weren't just coming from her. It was Terra, too.

With each step she took, memories coursed through her heart, tied with the aches bursting from her chest. She was feeling what Terra had felt when he had lost his freedom…when Xehanort had taken him over.

"You can't…have him anymore…" she breathed, clutching her hands around herself as she braced the onslaught of both wind and emotion. "You can't…please, leave him be…"

By this point, Aqua was completely consumed by the pain. She couldn't even hear Terra anymore. In her mind's eye, all she could see was the look of horror and fear in his eyes before Xehanort took his body. In the back of her subconscious, her own awful memories of that day continued to cycle back and forth, never ending…

And then, there was light.

An intense brightness radiated brilliantly from her chest, disintegrating the darkness with a sweeping column of wind, leaving her kneeling on ancient, dusty ground.

_Aqua…it's alright. We're out. _

Cautiously, she raised her head, and in that moment, she understood.

The onslaught of memories and fear had been the darkness, reacting with the location the corridor had left her in. It, being more reactive inside the corridor, had caught her off guard, especially since she had no form of protection. That surprised her, because she had been exposed to the dark realm for so long in identical conditions.

Aqua didn't know what to feel.

She wasn't trapped.

She was _out_.

But arriving in the Keyblade Graveyard wasn't her top choice.

_Are you alright?_

Aqua cringed. She really hadn't shown much strength and dignity back there. So much for being such a mature Keyblade Master… "I'm fine now." Embarrassed, she quickly got to her feet, and readied Master Keeper in case of sudden intrusions. She cautiously scanned her location, amazed at how little change there had been over such a long period of time. The earth remained cracked, the mountains craggy and desolate, the air dry and gritty, and the ground littered with broken Keyblades.

"Why did it bring us here, Terra?"

Much to her surprise, her friend remained silent. Aqua frowned in worry. "Terra, are you-"

_Whoosh!_

Abruptly, she was cut off midsentence by a violent wind. Her mouth almost filled with dirt as it swept through her, carrying centuries worth of dust across the plains. She quickly squeezed her eyes shut and covered her lips for protection, and tried to call a protective barrier around herself with limited success.

Once the dust had cleared, a kneeling, aged suit of armour remained several metres away from her, holding a long, sleek Keyblade into the ground.

Aqua nearly choked with shock.

It was _Terra's armour._

After seeing nothing of her friends, in so long….

She clutched her hand to her chest, a beautiful, familiar aching running through her. Terra himself remained silent, so much so that Aqua had almost forgotten he was there. She didn't understand how it could be here, but it was such a comforting sight that she couldn't stop herself. Her hesitant footsteps turned to desperate running, and in seconds she was kneeling down into the dirt itself.

The armour didn't move an inch. But that didn't stop her. Cautiously, she wriggled under his arms and tightly hugged the cool metal, not a care in the world. Even if just armour, this felt like...home.

Then the apparent awkwardness seemed to hit her. "Don't laugh," she mumbled defensively, even though Terra hadn't spoken for some time.

A metal clang directly behind her made her jump. She craned her neck around to see that Ends of the Earth, Terra's Keyblade, had fallen to the cracked ground, stirring up dust. She didn't have time to wonder what caused it to move before her question was answered. Terra's armour slowly began to shift his arms around her shoulders.

"Are…you doing this?" Aqua whispered, leaning back slightly to stare into the tinted visor of Terra's helmet. A blush had started creeping over her cheeks.

Terra remained silent. But Aqua didn't notice. She had frozen in apparent shock.

She could feel a heartbeat…the faintest, most precious heartbeat resounding through the armour's metal chest plates.

"Yes, Aqua…that's me."

Aqua gasped, her mouth open in shock.

"You…you spoke," she whispered, breathless. "Terra, you _spoke…_with your actual _voice._ Not inside my head. That was…you." She leaned back further, bringing her hands to rest on his shoulders.

Terra moved a metal arm away from her back, slowly and cautiously bringing his cool fingers to touch her cheek, almost as if the movement was completely foreign to him. Aqua couldn't help but give him a wobbly smile, bringing her hand to meet his. She wanted with all her heart to take off that helmet and see that face she knew so well looking back at her…but...what if…

She glanced at his visor, seeing her reflection stare longingly back. He titled his head down to her in response, almost as if he could read the questions she was asking herself. Cautiously, Aqua placed her hands on either side of his head, waiting for him to object. His very subtle nod surprised her. It was almost as if she could sense a smile…

Ever so gently, she gripped his helmet, and slowly removed it.

"Did you miss me?"

Aqua brought her hands to her mouth, her eyes huge. Terra's helmet crashed to the ground.

He _was_ smiling!

"I…I can see you," she breathed, almost speechless. She stared at him, looking right into his deep, cobalt eyes… seeing his ruffled, spiky brunette hair, his playful smile…

Terra carefully touched her cheek, his smile turning into a concerned look. "Aqua, are you…?"

Aqua's eyes were full of tears, but her smile was huge. He let out a gasp as she threw her arms around him again. "I can't believe you're really here…!" she mumbled into his shoulder, feeling his hair tickling her cheek. "It's been so long…"

Terra smiled again, stroking her back. He knew he didn't have much strength left to keep up a totally realistic image of his appearance… but this…_this_ was worth it. Aqua, meanwhile, had drawn back again to look at him, seemingly unable to take her eyes off his.

"You've barely aged a day…" Aqua whispered. She paused, then her cheeks flushed and she looked away, feeling a bit silly. She had wondered for days on end if she would ever see any of her friends again, and how different they might be…and she had agonised over Terra. So much had been left unsaid between them. There was so much she wanted to fix, to tell him, that'd she gone through hundreds of possible conversations in her mind…

Terra's mouth quirked upwards. "Neither have you."

But none of this was playing out like Aqua had planned. She just…couldn't stop watching his face. It was almost as if she were scared this moment would shatter into pieces and she'd wake up from some fragmented coma in the darkness. She brushed her fingers across his cheek, feeling warmth radiating from within. _Light_…

"There's…something I…" Aqua's voice trailed off as Terra gently titled her chin upwards.

"Me too," he whispered with a smile. He leaned closer, and gently pressed his lips against hers.

At first, Aqua's eyes went wide with surprise. His kiss was feather-light, so unlike his strong, confident nature…and it was beautiful. She responded slowly, savouring the moment as if she'd dreamt this a thousand times and couldn't believe it was real.

"That's…been a long time coming," Terra chuckled quietly once they were finished, looking a little embarrassed.

"Likewise," Aqua smiled deeply, and held his hand. "I'm not afraid to admit that now."

The two of them sat together in silence for a few moments, enjoying the company of each other they had longed for over so many years. Terra cleared his throat, knowing that his time was just about up. Aqua looked at him quizzically, and then noticed his face seemed to flicker a little, almost like some kind of projection.

Then it dawned on her.

"Of course…this is your heart, and your armour, but Xehanort still has your body," she whispered, looking directly at him. "Are you…going to…?"

"Not entirely," Terra replied, bringing his gaze back to hers. By now, he appeared somewhat ghostly, with his face partially transparent. "I can look real for short periods of time, but it's hard to keep up…"

"The fact I can see you at all is strange enough," Aqua pondered, frowning for a moment before her lips turned upwards. "It must be the strength of your heart…of both our hearts, together."

"You know, if Xehanort knew I was partially back…he'd be in for a hell of a surprise," Terra laughed, his expression somewhat mischievous. "The same might go for you, actually."

"Others, also… but for happier reasons, I think," she mused, finally starting to realise the extent of their freedom. "There's a lot I need to catch up on."

"And there are a lot of people we need to see… we'd better start with Master Yen Sid. Then I can tell you, and everyone else, exactly what's happened…and what I fear _will_ happen." Terra frowned in worry. "Xehanort couldn't keep everything secret from me."

"Sora…and all of his friends, right?" Aqua smiled, shifting her weight to stand. "Someone in the realm of darkness told me about him, and what he's done for the worlds."

"That kid's strong," he laughed, remembering all the times he had triumphed. "They'll all have so much to tell you."

She gave the brunette a hand, helping him stand as his armour was quite stiff. Terra flicked his wrist, and smiled broadly as Ends of the Earth shifted into his hand. With enthusiasm, he hurled the giant key into the air, and seconds later a Keyblade glider soared down, waiting expectantly for its rider. He raised an eyebrow at Aqua, waiting for her to do the same.

With uncertainty, Aqua flicked her wrist, half expecting Master Keeper to arrive in her grip. She jumped in surprise as another force reacted in her other hand, and seconds later her palms were full with both Stormfell and the Keyblade of her former master.

"Two…?" She breathed, quite shocked.

Terra was also surprised. He knew he was safeguarding Eraqus somewhere, but his master's Keyblade reacted very strongly to Aqua. He wondered if he could do the same…

Suddenly, Master Keeper flashed out from Aqua's grip, and materialised in Terra's hand.

"Hey!" Aqua protested, still not understanding what was going on. She concentrated hard, and Eraqus' Keyblade returned to her almost immediately.

"It seems both of us can use that one freely," he mused, chuckling. "I wonder..."

"I've been using it in the realm of darkness, since my Keyblade remained here, in the realm of light. That might explain why I can still use it. But as for you…" Aqua trailed off, confused.

Terra smiled, deciding to save that titbit about Eraqus for the others to hear at the same time. "I think I can explain, but it'll have to wait until we're in safer walls. Are you ready?" He gathered his helmet up from the ground before he forgot.

In one swift motion, Aqua tossed her Keyblade skyward, and then gracefully mounted her own glider. "Faster than you," she giggled. "You know, I've really missed this. Just us, talking…laughing…"

"Almost like old times…" Terra murmured, with a distant smile on his face. Then, without warning, he shot forward on his glider, sending up plumes of dust. "Too slow, Aqua!"

"Don't get cocky!" She replied, quickly leaving the barren ground behind as she followed him, a laugh rising inside her chest. Even if these were dark and daunting days, a little bit of light like this made anything seem possible again.

Terra summoned a portal to the Lanes Between and slowed as Aqua pulled up beside him, putting on his helmet. Aqua concentrated hard, and shifted into her old armour, surprised she was able to summon it so easily. Underneath their protection, both were smiling, happy even in the face of uncertainty and danger.

"You ready, Aqua?"

"With you, Terra," she breathed, just to him, "always."

* * *

A/N: EXCUSE ME WHILE I IMPLODE FROM ADORABLENESS OKAY.

Okay. I'm done now. :D So basically, my theory continues to the point where Terra's heart re-joins his armour, and allows him some form of a body to use again, sort of upgrading the Lingering Will. The reason he can project an image of himself is kind of like when Roxas and Namine appear at the end of KHII to their original selves, since they have an essence almost like a heart [i.e. their own sense of self], but appear kind of transparent.

Also, Terra knows a whole bunch of Xehanort's plans and stuff, so that could give the guardians of light some kind of advantage. Maybe. So this is why this is a two-shot _for now_, because I might take this story further, but that'll depend on interest and my ideas. Since DDD has kind of made the plot even more insane and harder to plan out a foreseeable ending. Haha.

Also FLUFF IS AWESOME SO THERE. I hope you guys enjoyed! :D Reviews are loooveee!

~ Lioneh


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